THE S.O.U.R.C.E. An ESCAPE? You've got to be kidding! IMPOSSIBLE! Supposedly an escape from Ocean World can never happen, but a group of injured and disabled marine mammals recuperating at the park wants to go home. Against all odds, with an outrageous plan and teamwork, they miraculously escape to freedom. Homeward bound on a journey filled with danger, the escapees encounter a couple of adventurous children, a magnificent sea creature, and her totally unpredictable twin. This unlikely group of characters forms a unique family and ends up on a challenging mission with a vital message they must share with the world. But how? And who would listen anyway? After all they're just kids. What do they know? AWARDS STORY MONSTER APPROVED: Honors authors in the field of children's literature whose books inspire, inform, teach or entertain. Middle Grade Fiction Environmental/Recycling ROYAL DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD Green Book/ Environment Middle Grade-Fiction NAUTILUS BOOK GOLD AWARD Middle Grade-Fiction PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD Green Books and Environmental Middle-Grade Fiction READERS FAVORITE SILVER AWARD Children's Fable Children's Audio-book 5 Five Star Reviews BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARD Pre-Teen Fiction INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD Animals/Pets

The classic apocalyptic novel that stunned the world.

Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction * New York Times Bestseller * A Huffington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year * One of the Best Books of the Month on Goodreads * Library Journal Best Sci-Tech Book of the Year * An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year “Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus does for the creature what Helen Macdonald’s H Is for Hawk did for raptors.” —New Statesman, UK “One of the best science books of the year.” —Science Friday, NPR Another New York Times bestseller from the author of The Good Good Pig, this “fascinating…touching…informative…entertaining” (The Daily Beast) book explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus—a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature—and the remarkable connections it makes with humans. In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food. Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds.

The Hundred Secret Senses is an exultant novel about China and America, love and loyalty, the identities we invent and the true selves we discover along the way. Olivia Laguni is half-Chinese, but typically American in her uneasiness with her patchwork family. And no one in Olivia's family is more embarrassing to her than her half-sister, Kwan Li. For Kwan speaks mangled English, is cheerfully deaf to Olivia's sarcasm, and sees the dead with her "yin eyes." Even as Olivia details the particulars of her decades-long grudge against her sister (who, among other things, is a source of infuriatingly good advice), Kwan Li is telling her own story, one that sweeps us into the splendor, squalor, and violence of Manchu China. And out of the friction between her narrators, Amy Tan creates a work that illuminates both the present and the past sweetly, sadly, hilariously, with searing and vivid prose. "Truly magical...unforgettable...this novel...shimmer[s] with meaning."--San Diego Tribune "The Hundred Secret Senses doesn't simply return to a world but burrows more deeply into it, following new trails to fresh revelations."--Newsweek

Ah, there’s just nothing better than singing in the shower. The acoustics are perfect and you don’t sound half bad, if you do say so yourself. In fact, with a little practice you could be the next “American Idol” platinum-selling recording artist, or stage sensation. It’s time for Pavarotti to step down and for you to step up as monarch of songdom. Whether you’re a beginning vocalist or a seasoned songster, Singing for Dummies makes it easy for you to achieve your songbird dreams. Singing for Dummies gives you step-by-step instructions and lots of helpful tips, hints, vocal exercises, reminders, and warnings for both men and women, including advice on: The mechanics of singing Discovering your singing voice Developing technique Singing in performance Maintaining vocal health Performing like a pro Singing for Dummies is written by Dr. Pamelia Phillips, Chair of Voice and Music at New York University’s Undergraduate Drama Department. Dr. Phillips shares all of her professional expertise to help you sing your way to the top. She gives you all the information you need to know about: Proper posture and breathing Perfecting your articulation Finding the right voice teacher for you How to train for singing Selecting your music materials Acting the song Overcoming stage fright Auditioning for musical theater In addition to Dr. Phillips’ wisdom, Singing for Dummies comes with a CD packed full of useful instruction and songs, including: Demonstrations of proper technique Exercises to develop technique and strength Scales and pitch drills Practice songs for beginning, intermediate, and advanced singers Singing for Dummies contains all the information, practices, techniques, and expert advice you need to hone your vocal skills with ease.

“Bedford beautifully portrays the life of an Australian Indian writer struggling with grief a year after the death of her father.” —Publishers Weekly Sydney’s inner city is very much its own place, yet also a stand in for gentrifying inner-city suburbs the world over. Here, four young housemates struggle to untangle their complicated relationships while a poignant story of loss, grieving, and recovery unfolds. The nameless narrator of this story has recently lost her father and now her existence is split in two: she conjures the past in which he was alive and yet lives in the present, where he is not. To others, she appears to have it all together, but the grief she still feels creates an insurmountable barrier between herself and others, between the life she had and the one she leads. Wry, relatable, lyrical, and beautifully told, a book about politics, desire, youth, relationships and friends, Friends and Dark Shapes introduces a bold new Australian voice to American readers. Praise for Friends and Dark Shapes Shortlisted for the 2021 Queensland Literary Awards “An unflinching novel that captures the isolation and emotional overload of modern life.” —ForeWord Reviews “An intimate portrait of an individual in an ever-changing city and a searching meditation on the madness of grief . . . Bedford brilliantly maps the city and examines the narrator’s “dysfunctional relationship” with it. She also explores issues of race, identity and belonging through her heroine’s journalistic assignments and encounters with immigrants and refugees. However, the novel is at its most powerful when it centers upon a world caving in and the aftershocks: what it is like to “lose a parent and lose your base.”“—The Star Tribune

Raffi's most popular and beloved song about the "little white whale on the go" is available in a sturdy board book edition--just the right size for babies and toddlers! Singing supports and encourages even the youngest child's speech and listening skills, which makes Baby Beluga perfect for early learning. Join this adorable baby whale in a busy day at sea, culminating in a warm mother-child bedtime ending. With its delightful illustrations, this is the ideal sing-along for a whole new generation of readers.